Nas Talks Frank Ocean, Women In Hip-Hop & Tax Problems

In a candid interview with HUCK magazine, Nas shared his thoughts on Frank Ocean, women in hip-hop, his tax burdens, and how he’d like to be remembered.

Are hip hop artists more united today? The community was overwhelmingly supportive when Frank Ocean came out as bisexual recently…

I think hip hop artists realise that there are a lot of things against us and showing some kind of brotherhood is very positive. It’s good to see.

What do you find exciting in hip hop now?

I like Azealia Banks, I like Nicki [Minaj]. Those are the girls that are currently in the game. I like A$ap Rocky, Big Sean.

Is it women’s time in hip hop?

It is women’s time but women are under the illusion that they’re being blocked, so women have to stop playing man’s game when it comes to the artistic shit. They have to just go and do it. Stop worrying about where you fit in. Just go and do it.

You’ve been in the news recently because of an outstanding $6,000,000 tax bill. Do you wish you’d been more business-minded in your career?

No, I don’t have any regrets. The way we live is no regrets. Everything is a learning experience and your mistakes, when you go back to look at them, are just moments of being human. Those are my reference points. So I go back to those points. And I love those points when I didn’t do well because that meant I was just a human.

How would you like to be remembered?

Oh no, I can’t answer that! I don’t care that much about how people think about me. While I’m here, a lot matters. When I’m gone, I’m gone. I don’t know, I’d be cheating myself if I told you that; I’d probably downplay myself, there’s probably someone that thinks of me more than I can. That should be outside of me. I probably don’t even know what it is that people think of me, really. So whatever it is, let it be. READ MORE